Partnership To Improve Emergency Transport
OTSEGO COUNTY—Last week, Otsego County Board of Representatives Chairman Edwin Frazier and Bassett Healthcare Network President and Chief Executive Officer Staci Thompson announced that they have agreed to a public-private partnership designed to improve access to essential healthcare for Otsego County residents.
According to County Administrator Steve Wilson, while the agreement is for 90 days, both parties will be working to develop a long-term plan. The shared goal of both Bassett and county officials is to streamline the way patients get needed ambulance transportation.
“The Board [of Representatives] authorized this interim agreement at their May meeting after a year-and-a-half-long negotiation with Bassett and analysis of emergency services and hospital operation systems,” said Frazier.
According to the announcement, 911 patients transported with the county service and volunteer squads often go to the nearest hospital and sometimes need to be transferred to other medical facilities to get the specialized care they need.
This agreement provides reimbursement to Otsego County to help ensure those inter-facility transfers occur in a timely and efficient way.
Frazier said, “This agreement helps assure that no county taxpayer funds will be used.
Reimbursement for the services will be largely through insurance companies and supplemented by contributions from Bassett.”
Otsego County EMS Chief Robert O’Brien said the county ambulance service routinely transfers patients between hospitals, mostly within the Bassett Healthcare Network. This agreement, O’Brien pointed out, helps ensure a collaborative partnership to provide effective services for Bassett as well as to maintain responsive 911 service delivery in the county.
Thompson praised the agreement, saying it is part of a comprehensive strategy for helping the network improve both patient experience and access to healthcare.
“This collaborative relationship with our Otsego County partners will ensure improved access to quality emergency medical transportation services for Bassett patients,” Thompson explained.